The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is seeking to purchase commercially made tools built for spotting, surveilling, and tracking illicit maritime activities in the Indo-Pacific, according to a commercial solution opening (CSO) solicitation posted to SAM.gov last week.
The CSO solicitation is designed to usher in Project Aegir, a $1.5 million pilot program aimed at “enhancing maritime domain awareness through [geospatial intelligence (GEOINT)] and combating illicit activities around the planet,” NGA Director Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth announced during his keynote address at the 2024 GEOINT Symposium on May 6.
“We believe partnership[s] … with and among our commercial industry colleagues will unlock promising solutions to some of our customers’ most challenging needs,” Whitworth said. “The CSO project underscores our commitment to staying ahead of evolving threats, and supporting frontline efforts against [illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing], illicit trafficking, and other activities that pose threats to global security.”
Project Aegir is NGA’s response to increasing requirements for immediate access to commercial analytics and unclassified intelligence products
CSOs are a relatively new concept within the Defense Department (DoD). They were first established to acquire innovative commercial capabilities from non-traditional vendors into the DoD. Solicitations that follow CSO procedures are intended to allow defense agencies to more rapidly select commercial solutions that meet fast-changing contemporary needs.
The initial CSO pilot will have participating commercial vendors working collectively to “establish tasking algorithms for tipping and queuing a diverse array of sensors, conduct analysis and deliver wholly unclassified, shareable intelligence of illicit maritime activities in the [U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s] area of responsibility,” according to a press release by NGA.
“Project Aegir marks a significant milestone in NGA’s ongoing efforts to enhance maritime security and combat illegal activities on our seas,” Director of NGA Commercial Operations Devin Brande said in a statement. “By working with the commercial sector, we can drive automation that enables more rapid collections, allowing those on the front lines to move at speed to stay ahead of evolving global security threats.”
The CSO is taking a multi-vendor approach and would require participants to collectively develop a commercial sensor system for monitoring illicit maritime movement in the Indo-Pacific region.
Responses to the solicitation are due on May 24. After that, the shortlisted vendors can pitch their solutions to NGA officials at the Defense Innovation Unit headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., between June 24-28.
